diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index a5553fe0..705b9083 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 4.1.0   2018-??-??
 		repmgr: add "--missing-slots" check to "repmgr node check" (Ian)
         repmgrd: create a PID file by default; GitHub #457 (Ian)
+		repmgrd: daemonize process by default; GitHub #458 (Ian)
 
 4.0.6   2018-06-14
         repmgr: (witness register) prevent registration of a witness server with the
diff --git a/configfile.c b/configfile.c
index 785419e8..3690d053 100644
--- a/configfile.c
+++ b/configfile.c
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@ static bool config_file_provided = false;
 bool		config_file_found = false;
 
 static void _parse_config(t_configuration_options *options, ItemList *error_list, ItemList *warning_list);
-static bool parse_bool(const char *s,
-		   const char *config_item,
-		   ItemList *error_list);
 
 static void _parse_line(char *buf, char *name, char *value);
 static void parse_event_notifications_list(t_configuration_options *options, const char *arg);
@@ -1481,7 +1478,7 @@ repmgr_atoi(const char *value, const char *config_item, ItemList *error_list, in
  *
  *   https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/config-setting.html
  */
-static bool
+bool
 parse_bool(const char *s, const char *config_item, ItemList *error_list)
 {
 	PQExpBufferData errors;
diff --git a/configfile.h b/configfile.h
index bc948648..f10eba12 100644
--- a/configfile.h
+++ b/configfile.h
@@ -283,6 +283,10 @@ bool		reload_config(t_configuration_options *orig_options);
 
 bool		parse_recovery_conf(const char *data_dir, t_recovery_conf *conf);
 
+bool		parse_bool(const char *s,
+					   const char *config_item,
+					   ItemList *error_list);
+
 int repmgr_atoi(const char *s,
 			const char *config_item,
 			ItemList *error_list,
diff --git a/doc/appendix-release-notes.sgml b/doc/appendix-release-notes.sgml
index 9b8b8c26..fb9d5354 100644
--- a/doc/appendix-release-notes.sgml
+++ b/doc/appendix-release-notes.sgml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
       <title>repmgrd enhancements</title>
       <para>
         <itemizedlist>
+
           <listitem>
             <para>
               <application>repmgrd</application>: create a PID file by default
@@ -44,6 +45,16 @@
             </para>
           </listitem>
 
+          <listitem>
+            <para>
+              <application>repmgrd</application>: daemonize process by default.
+			  In case, for whatever reason, the user does not wish to daemonize the
+			  process, provice <option>--daemonize=false</option>.
+			  (GitHub #458).
+            </para>
+          </listitem>
+
+
         </itemizedlist>
       </para>
     </sect2>
diff --git a/doc/repmgrd-configuration.sgml b/doc/repmgrd-configuration.sgml
index 7463215e..f1cd4c8c 100644
--- a/doc/repmgrd-configuration.sgml
+++ b/doc/repmgrd-configuration.sgml
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@
     <para>
       <application>repmgrd</application> can be started manually like this:
       <programlisting>
-        repmgrd -f /etc/repmgr.conf --pid-file /tmp/repmgrd.pid --daemonize</programlisting>
+        repmgrd -f /etc/repmgr.conf --pid-file /tmp/repmgrd.pid</programlisting>
       and stopped with <command>kill `cat /tmp/repmgrd.pid`</command>. Adjust paths as appropriate.
     </para>
     <para>
diff --git a/repmgrd.c b/repmgrd.c
index 6d456918..dfad99f2 100644
--- a/repmgrd.c
+++ b/repmgrd.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 static char *config_file = NULL;
 static bool verbose = false;
 static char pid_file[MAXPGPATH];
-static bool daemonize = false;
+static bool daemonize = true;
 static bool show_pid_file = false;
 static bool no_pid_file = false;
 
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		{"config-file", required_argument, NULL, 'f'},
 
 /* daemon options */
-		{"daemonize", no_argument, NULL, 'd'},
+		{"daemonize", optional_argument, NULL, 'd'},
 		{"pid-file", required_argument, NULL, 'p'},
 		{"show-pid-file", no_argument, NULL, 's'},
 		{"no-pid-file", no_argument, NULL, OPT_NO_PID_FILE},
@@ -175,7 +175,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				/* daemon options */
 
 			case 'd':
-				daemonize = true;
+				if (optarg != NULL)
+				{
+					daemonize = parse_bool(optarg, "-d/--daemonize", &cli_errors);
+				}
 				break;
 
 			case 'p':
@@ -747,7 +750,8 @@ show_help(void)
 	puts("");
 
 	printf(_("Daemon configuration options:\n"));
-	printf(_("  -d, --daemonize           detach process from foreground\n"));
+	printf(_("  -d, --daemonize[=true/false]\n"));
+	printf(_("                            detach process from foreground (default: true)\n"));
 	printf(_("  -p, --pid-file=PATH       use the specified PID file\n"));
 	printf(_("  -s, --show-pid-file       show PID file which would be used by the current configuration\n"));
 	printf(_("  --no-pid-file             don't write a PID file\n"));